1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a cyclone dust collecting device, which is mounted on a telescopic extension pipe of a vacuum cleaner, to filter out and collect contaminants of relatively large particles that are drawn into the vacuum cleaner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a cyclone dust collecting device separates particles from a fluid by using centrifugal force. Due to their simple structure and ability to withstand high-temperature and high-pressure environments, cyclone dust collecting devices have been widely used in the industrial fields for a long time. Further, the cyclone dust collecting device is employed in a vacuum cleaner, to first filter and then collect contaminants of relatively larger particles, such as pieces of tissue, vinyl, hairs, and the like, from the air that is drawn in through a cleaner brush. The cyclone dust collecting device prevents these larger contaminants from being filtered out by a paper filter, which is disposed inside a dust collecting chamber, thereby extending the life of the disposable paper filter.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vacuum cleaner equipped with a conventional cyclone dust collecting device.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner with the conventional cyclone dust collecting device 10 includes a cleaner body 1, a brush 4 for drawing in contaminants, a flexible hose 2 and a telescopic extension pipe 3 for connecting the brush 4 to the cleaner body 1, a paper filter 7 for filtering out the contaminants, and a fan motor 8 for generating a suction force. The cyclone dust collecting device 10 is mounted on a connection portion between the telescopic extension pipe 3 and the flexible hose 2 to filter out larger particle contaminants.
The cyclone dust collecting device 10 for the vacuum cleaner draws in air and contaminants through the brush 4 with a suction force generated by the fan motor 8, obliquely into a cyclone housing 13. Various kinds of relatively larger particles of contaminants, such as pieces of tissue, vinyl, hairs, and the like are separated from the air by the centrifugal force, which is caused by a vortex of air. These larger particle contaminants are then collected in the cyclone housing 13. When the clean air reaches the bottom of the cyclone housing 13, it reverses direction and turns into a rising air flow that is expelled to the cleaner body 1 through the flexible hose 2.
During operation of the vacuum cleaner, the orientation of the cyclone dust collecting device 10 may change either intentionally or unintentionally. That is, the cyclone dust collecting device 10 can be tilted or turned upside-down when cleaning higher locations, causing the contaminants collected in the cyclone housing 13 of the cyclone dust collecting device 10, such as tissue, vinyl, hairs, and the like, to fall toward a grill 12 of the cyclone dust collecting device 10. When such reverse flow of contaminants occurs, the contaminants can block the grill 12 of the cyclone dust collecting device 10, thereby decreasing the cleaning efficiency of the vacuum cleaner or disabling its operation. Therefore, blockage of the grill due to a reverse flow of contaminants should be prevented.
Further, since the cyclone housing 13 can be separated from the cyclone body 11 to enable a user to discard the contaminants that have collected in the cyclone housing 13, the grill 12 of the cyclone body 11 will be exposed. The ambient area may get dirty, because of the contaminants that have fallen from the grill. Furthermore, the exposed grill 12 can break if it is mishandled.
The present invention has been made to solve the problems stated above.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cyclone dust collecting device for a vacuum cleaner that prevents contaminants from blocking the grill, regardless of the orientation of the cyclone dust collecting device. It is a further object of the invention that the device does not hinder operation of the vacuum cleaner. Yet another object of the invention is to prevent contaminants from falling off the grill of a cyclone body or preventing the grill from being damaged when the collected contaminants are discarded.
The above object is accomplished by a cyclone dust collecting device for a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, including a cyclone body connected to a telescopic extension pipe of the vacuum cleaner. The cyclone body generates a swirling vortex from an inflow of air and contaminants that have been drawn in. The cyclone dust collecting device further includes a cyclone housing detachably engaged with the cyclone body. The cyclone housing has a spiral partition dividing an interior of the cyclone housing into an upper space for separating contaminants from the air by guiding the vortex of air, and a lower space for receiving the contaminants that have been separated from the air.
The cyclone housing includes a cyclone cover having a cylindrical shape, an open upper end engaged with the cyclone body, and a lower slanted end slanted by a spiral partition. The cyclone housing further includes a dust collecting container detachably engaged with a lower portion of the slanted end of the cyclone cover, for receiving contaminants that have passed through the spiral partition.
An engagement portion extends from the lower slanted end of the cyclone cover. The engagement portion is press-fitted with the upper open end of the dust collecting container.
The spiral partition includes a dome-shaped protrusion formed on a center thereof.
The spiral partition includes first and second ends which may align with each other in a vertical plane or overlap one another in a vertical plane.
A supporting means is provided to elastically support the cyclone housing with respect to the telescopic extension pipe and prevent separation of the cyclone housing from the cyclone body.
The supporting means includes a fixture member mounted to the telescopic extension pipe, an insertion member movably disposed on the fixture member, and inserted in a recess formed on a lower end of the cyclone housing, and an elastic member for biasing the insertion member into engagement with the recess.
The cyclone housing includes a cyclone cover having a cylindrical shape, an open upper end engaged with the cyclone body, and a lower slanted end which is slanted at a predetermined angle with respect to the spiral partition. The cyclone housing further includes a dust collecting container having an open end engaged with the lower portion by a screw. The dust collecting container receives contaminants that have passed through the spiral partition.
The cyclone body further includes a grill defining an air suction path and an air exhaust path. The grill has a plurality of fine holes formed therein, through which air flows.